Whether queasy from a night of revelry or ill from the flu, passengers who vomit in a Halifax taxicab could soon face a fixed cleanup fee.

Under current bylaws, cabbies must negotiate a price with passengers to cover the cost of cleaning up the mess.

But the arbitrary rules have left some taxi drivers on the hook for cleanup costs, while in other cases passengers face hefty fees.

“The city needs to take the ambiguity away from it and the potential negotiation away from it, and set a specific fee so that customers are protected and drivers are protected,” Brian Herman, operations manager for Casino Taxi, said in an interview Wednesday.

British Columbia’s transportation board approved a new $75 fee earlier this month, joining several other areas that have set fees for cleaning up cabs.

Calgary city council also recently ushered in a set $100 fee for cleaning up cabs, while Ottawa cabbies can charge $50 and in Toronto the fee is $25.

Coun. Reg Rankin (Timberlea, Beechville and Clayton Park West), chairman of Halifax’s transportation standing committee, said he would raise the issue at the next committee meeting.

“I think it’s a valid concern, especially if you don’t get a co-operative client,” he said in an interview. “A set fee would also prevent instances of overcharging.”

Rankin said it’s possible some taxi drivers and passengers are uncomfortable having to negotiate a charge.

“It seems to me reasonable to deal with it both from a consumer point of view and for taxi drivers,” he said.

If members of the transportation committee are on board, Rankin said he would direct municipal staff to develop a report on bringing in a taxi “vomit fee” for the Halifax region.

However, coming up with a fair dollar amount could prove tricky.

Herman said the cleanup costs depend on the damage, but that cab drivers face other indirect costs.

For example, even if the cleanup only takes a couple hours, the car needs time to dry and properly air out to remove the smell, he said. Cabbies cannot work while their car is being cleaned, which means they are forgoing fares.

David Wilson, owner of House of Auto Details in Bedford, said cleaning up vomit would likely take a couple hours and cost about $120.

“It depends on the severity, of course, but it’s not just a typical wipe down,” he said, noting that the car would have to be cleaned, disinfected and the smell removed.